Obama staying mum on Sarkozy chat

Hawaii - US President Barack Obama on Sunday refused to discuss an overheard conversation he was party to in which French President Nicolas Sarkozy called Israel's leader Benjamin Netanyahu a "liar".

In the chat picked up by an open microphone at this month's G20 summit in France, Obama also appeared to show frustration with the Israeli prime minister, with whom he has had a tense relationship.

"With respect to the 'hot mic' in France, I'm not going to comment on conversations that I have with individual leaders," Obama said.

But at a press conference in Hawaii after an Asia-Pacific summit, Obama went on to say he had a "frank and firm" conversation with French President Nicolas Sarkozy about France's vote to allow the Palestinians to join the United Nations Education, Science and Cultural Organisation (Unesco).

"I had consistently made the argument that the only way we're going to solve the Middle East situation is if Palestinians and Israelis sit down at the table and negotiate; that it is not going to work to try to do an end run through the United Nations."

The open mic incident, first reported by a French blog, turned into an embarrassment for the White House and ammunition for political critics who see Obama as too tough on Israel and in danger of losing the US Jewish vote.

The private conversation was overheard by a number of journalists after it was inadvertently transmitted over a system used for translation, media website Arret sur Images reported.

Sarkozy was reported as saying of Netanyahu to Obama in French: "I can't stand him anymore, he's a liar."

"You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day," Obama replied in comments that were translated into French.

Comments

Mthuthuzeli - 2011-11-14 11:54

The men the American people admire most extravagantly are the most daring liars; the men they detest most violently are those who try to tell them the truth. ~ H.L. Mencken

Ahmed - 2011-11-14 12:16

well said. Zionist are racists and liars just like their apartheid friends. they believe they are God`s chosen people and others are inferior which is why they treat Palestinians as sub human. Zionist are worse than the Nats in the bad old days in SA

BA - 2011-11-14 13:51

At Ahmed: We are God's chosen people. We are not the committers of genocides like the muslim Sudanese and Somalians against African Sudanese and Somalians. We are not the murderers and terrorists and haters of this world like you and Mthuthuzlei and your ilk are. We are not liars and racists. arabs are. In Israel every person no matter what religion has the right to own property, work and live where they want. There are arab judges, members of cabinet and parliament, military generals, etc. In the Palestinian territory the sentence for selling land to a Jew is death!! A non-muslim cannot even enter Saudi Arabia. And you have the cheeck to call Zionists racist? The arab states are the real apartheid states.

Mthuthuzeli - 2011-11-14 15:51

There's nothing regarding Jews or Israel in that qoute, what makes you assume that the person qouted was reffering to Jews.

Barry - 2011-11-14 18:37

I think it is just showing the western leaders are starting to get really peeved with Ben and his terrorist activities but too embarressed to say anything public.

Saksak - 2011-11-14 12:01

why do Jews think they are special? Nobody is allowed to say anything against them.

Mthuthuzeli - 2011-11-14 12:24

Claims of anti-Semitism are a quick and easy way to try to sway the political debate by anyone who construe any sort of political criticism of Israel as criticism of Jews.
An "anti-Semite" is no longer someone who hates Jews, but someone the Talmudic Jews hate.

BA - 2011-11-14 13:53

Saksak: If no-one is allowed to say anything against them, what are all the comments on this story? IDIOT. Mthuthuzeli has such a cheek. He is a blatant hater of Jews. His comments on every story about Israel prove it.

Barry - 2011-11-14 19:19

@BA..
What a lost person you are.

majahamahle - 2011-11-14 12:17

Calling Netanyahu a liar does not constitute being tough to Israel. He was being frank about the guy as an individual not Israel.

Kobus - 2011-11-14 12:22

The Jews dont have to "THINK" they are special. We "KNOW" they are. They are Gods chosen people whether the heathens like it or not.

George - 2011-11-14 12:41

But current east european jews are alleged to be Khazars. The ashkenanzi jews are alleged be a turkish tribe that converted into judaism around 11000 AD. They are alleged not to be semitic and are not God's chosen people. The jews that are Gods chosen people are real semitic jews not some east european jews who converted into judaism centuries back in deep southern Russia and migrated into eastern europe and eventually to Israel after world war two.

Mthuthuzeli - 2011-11-14 13:01

The Sherpadic Jews are both semites with their Palestinian cousins. The Khazars and Ashkenazi are slavs. The latter are terrorists, the former lived at peace with their neighbors.

Dayaan - 2011-11-14 13:11

Something that everyone misses is the fact that when the Romans sacked Jerusalem they burnt all there genealogical records none of the Jews today can even prove their ancestry back to Abraham(peace be upon him)

BA - 2011-11-14 13:56

Jewish people are Jewish because we beleive in Judaism. We do not have to prove anything to anybody about exactly who our ancestors are. That is a riculous and Jew-hating slander. Judaism is a religion like any other. If you believe in the Jewish God, or conver to Judaism, then you are a Jew in the eyes of the Jewish courts, in the eyes of God, and the community. So all this rubbish about not being "true" Jews is just anti-Jewish slander designed to deligitimize the Jewish right to a homeland for Jewish people.

Dayaan - 2011-11-14 13:59

Well said Mohamed he should read his own Bible Matthew 15:1-6 Jesus(peace be upon him) is reported to have said they have made the word of God invalid due to their traditions, and that is only one translation of the Bible other translations says that God has rejected them for putting their traditions first before what has been written down for them.

Barry - 2011-11-14 19:21

@BA..
Nice religious rant from you. Congrats.
We are taking about Israel here not Jews.
Probably you don't see the difference between a country and a religion.

Jacob - 2011-11-14 12:28

Ahmed - and the mussies - look how they kill each other in Libya, Siria, all over the A-rab world. They have zero respect for their own people, uneducated fanatics

BA - 2011-11-14 13:58

At Mohammmed: Jew-hating, islamist extremist alert. Idiot.

Klaus - 2011-11-14 12:29

Jewish people do not know the meaning of live and let live. It's me me me me only. This will never change.

BA - 2011-11-14 13:58

That's rich Klaus. I suppose you think the muslims are paragons of living and let live? IDIOT

Elaine - 2011-11-14 16:18

ARE YOU BLIND! Muslims behave as though they own the world,try make other countries bow down to their rules and regulations, create a spirit of fear in all and sundry.Note Gadaffi's threat to attack Swwitzerland for a perceived threat on muslims. They murder their own daughters if they are thought to be wanting to have a relationship with a non-muslim, they will pour petrol on their wives and set them alight for any or no reason. If ANY coutry knows the meaning of live and let live it is Israel.

Barry - 2011-11-14 19:23

@BA...
BAD ATTITUDE :)

Malcolm - 2011-11-14 12:43

Obama is a mere spokesperson. He says what he is told to say, and sometimes forgets the script. He has absolutely nothing to do with the running of the USA. Powerfull people who own big business own and decide the fait of the USA. The majority of Americans only think they have democracy. They are all conned & manipulated into voting for a pre-determined ruling party. Money & manipulation put idiots into the positions they find themselves in. The American dream is just what it says it is. Not too long from now, the majority of Americans will actually start waking up from the dream. It will take a while though. They where not first in queue when brains were dished out.

Mthuthuzeli - 2011-11-14 12:49

That's what you get when you refuse to fund education and give people TVs instead.

Elaine - 2011-11-14 14:22

I have heard Sarkozy described as a poisonous French dwarf. If anyone is a liar it is he.

Elaine - 2011-11-14 14:33

Nocolas Sarkozy: in his early years, he felt inferior in relation to his wealthier and taller classmates.[12] "What made me who I am now is the sum of all the humiliations suffered during childhood", he said later.[12] quote from Wikipedia. A little man with an overly large inferiority complex with no diplomatic skills apparently. He also doesn't like David Cameron who won't get involved with the Euro. Recent history has proved Cameron right for not getting invloved in the euro debacle.

The-third - 2011-11-14 14:39

blah blah blah blah.

Barry - 2011-11-14 18:46

I think it is just showing the western leaders are starting to get really peeved with Ben and his terrorist activities but too embarressed to say anything public.